Doogie: I have every reason to believe Richard Pitino WILL be back as Gophers coach, there are just no signs

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LakevilleBro said:
I think you can like Pitino, and still want to see a coaching change. It is like dating a girl for 7 years, you had some good times and bad times, but after 7 years, you realize that something is not right and you move on to the next gal. You can still have good memories, but you wanted a change.
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Well, that is an interesting perspective but there is one big difference: we may have known that we didn't want to marry Pitino after 3 years but it would have cost us something like $7 or $8 million to fire him at that time. Breaking up with girlfriends is a lot cheaper.

I liked your example but I can't imagine dating someone for 7 years (unless one has been married something like 3 times previously). You would think most people would figure out that they want to break up with, or marry, that person well before then.
 

Then people seriously need to vote with their feet and wallets. Do not buy tickets. Give up your season tickets. Make them pay.

SF 49ers were crap. Fans wouldn't buy tickets. Ownership got the message.


An argument can be made that part of the Vikings problem is that fans are too diehard, and will come to the games no matter what. Might not be a valid argument, but I have seen it being made before.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
So the Buyout matters - but the loss of ticket revenue also matters. Don't forget that when Claeys was fired, one of the reasons given was the need to bring excitement to the program and improve attendance. At this point, you could make the same claims about the men's BB program.
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The buyout only matters now if they keep Pitino several more years. The Gophers would actually lose more money keeping him for another year, then firing him after next season.

Right now his buyout is 2 million. That only decreases to 1.75 million next season, meanwhile Pitino's salary will go from 2 million to 2.4 million next season.
 

Holy Man said:
Brutal. There is no way the top administrator at a top 25 university puts the burden of retaining a coach on a 20 year old kid in any situation. Coyle will make his decision on three factors:

1. Whether he thinks there is an immediate upgrade who is attainable.
2. Whether he thinks the program can handle entering a season with a growing apathetic fan base.
3. Perhaps most importantly, if he thinks there is enough cash to fund the buyout.

I see 3 as the biggest factor that I have not seen talked about much.
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Agree with your post. The reason #3 isn't talked about much these days is that the buyout is the cheapest it's ever been ($2 million) and it doesn't go down significantly if he is retained.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
The buyout only matters now if they keep Pitino several more years. The Gophers would actually lose more money keeping him for another year, then firing him after next season.

Right now his buyout is 2 million. That only decreases to 1.75 million next season, meanwhile Pitino's salary will go from 2 million to 2.4 million next season.
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Good post. I knew the decrease in the buyout but I didn't realize that was less than the increase in his salary if retained. So, the combination of those two things should make it easier to fire him.
 


Coyle has to do the right thing, right???

Barring a miracle run in the BT tourny ... more likely we'll beat NW and then lose and that will be that.
 

cjbfbp said:
Agree with your post. The reason #3 isn't talked about much these days is that the buyout is the cheapest it's ever been ($2 million) and it doesn't go down significantly if he is retained.
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That's good data, and adds another point to the case for dismissal.
 

MplsGopher said:
I'm sure Nagy would be a decent hire, but I'm not sure if this is true.

Looks to me similarish to Jacobson. Nagy was at South Dakota St for 21 seasons prior to Wright St, and that was his only HC experience.

I think Wright St has always been "decent" in the Horizon? I supposed they've upped their game a bit the last three seasons.
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Nagy would be a high floor low ceiling hire, IMO. He's a good coach. We'll probably rarely be awful. But I don't see him knocking out of the park recruiting wise.
 

Spaulding!No! said:
what tiny land grant school in WI has a quality basketball coach. We need to follow the WI design. oh, and the coach must be white.
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Not sure if serious, but Mackey and Judd were arguing this last week (minus the last part.) It's dumb. Hire a good coach. There's no matter where he's from.
 



MplsGopher said:
Then people seriously need to vote with their feet and wallets. Do not buy tickets. Give up your season tickets. Make them pay.

SF 49ers were crap. Fans wouldn't buy tickets. Ownership got the message.


An argument can be made that part of the Vikings problem is that fans are too diehard, and will come to the games no matter what. Might not be a valid argument, but I have seen it being made before.
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If Pitino is returned I will be voting with my feet and pocket as I walk into Williams.
 

howeda7 said:
Nagy would be a high floor low ceiling hire, IMO. He's a good coach. We'll probably rarely be awful. But I don't see him knocking out of the park recruiting wise.
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I think that's a good take. Another tough exit for him at Wright State this year. Game really wasn't that close though. They played well throughout the year and were the clear 1 seed.
 

MplsGopher said:
Then people seriously need to vote with their feet and wallets. Do not buy tickets. Give up your season tickets. Make them pay.

SF 49ers were crap. Fans wouldn't buy tickets. Ownership got the message.


An argument can be made that part of the Vikings problem is that fans are too diehard, and will come to the games no matter what. Might not be a valid argument, but I have seen it being made before.
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NFL franchises make piles of dough whether or not fans are in the stadium. Washington. Jacksonville. Miami. Los Angeles Charges. Profits are still huge.

While I'm no fan of the Wilfs, it can not be argued they are spending their resources to at least try to win on maximum on player salary cap, coaches, scouting and their shiny new practice facility.
 

ltf said:
If Pitino is returned I will be voting with my feet and pocket as I walk into Williams.
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Not only will I be walking into Williams, I'll also be cheering for us to win - crazy, I know. :)
 
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ltf said:
Not only will I be walking into Williams, I'll also be cheering for us to win - crazy, I know. :)
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That's great, not an option for me. If he's back I will cheer the team from afar. But my opinion is that it's time to move on.
 

Pitino has proven in two, maybe three...of his seven years he can coach. In every year he’s had circumstances and misfortune occur beyond his control. He is not the complete incompetent some paint him as.

Why, if Oturu returns, if Mashburn blossoms, Ihnen gets Demirs minutes are the Gophers not a Top 20 team next year with a full barn?
We could also add Walton or some other intriguing recruit.

On the flip...the buyout is a factor but the buyout for the new hire is maybe a bigger piece unless it’s Belein or a similar circumstance.

There are arguments all around... I just wouldn’t just dismiss our fortunes to turnaround with Pitino as coach as being impossible...probably even likely with Oturu staying. If he leaves....lot less sunshine.
 
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He can coach. Would coach circles around me. He is a D1 head coach. The problem is so many other programs have fantastic coaches. Go on a 6-8 game run and prove your good. Win conference titles and year after year be over .500 to be great. Not just once in 7 years. Win the job now by winning the conference tourney, it can be done. Unless of course Coyle already decided.
 



builtbadgers said:
Not yet. Win 5 in a row and fans will think he is a legend. This roster can do it too. NOT a super team i sight.
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The outcome of the B1G tournament should have no bearing on Coyle's decision, be it lose Wed or make it to Sunday.

We have 7 years of data from.which to make this decision. Should have been made last year. Waiting another year will change nothing.
 

60's Guy said:
Why, if Oturu returns, if Mashburn blossoms, Ihnen gets Demirs minutes are the Gophers not a Top 20 team next year with a full barn?
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Even if all those things happened, no we're not a top 20 team. We're a solid NCAA team with an 8-10 seed. And the odds of all of that happening is incredibly slim.

Pitino's undoing is that he's unable to successfully recruit locally for the most part and he's at best an average X's and O's coach. He's not awful on either front, but that combo can't win at MN.
 


FWIW - there was an article in the Strib today - writer said Coyle is refusing interview requests if the topic involves Pitino's job status.

You would think at the very least, he could come out with one of those "we will evaluate after the season" comments. But to say nothing is - at the very least - an interesting choice.

Granted, Coyle is not real chatty with the media. Shama had an item the other day - said he ran into Coyle at a game, asked for a couple minutes of his time, and Coyle said "no."

so it sounds like the AD is going in the bunker.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
FWIW - there was an article in the Strib today - writer said Coyle is refusing interview requests if the topic involves Pitino's job status.

You would think at the very least, he could come out with one of those "we will evaluate after the season" comments. But to say nothing is - at the very least - an interesting choice.

Granted, Coyle is not real chatty with the media. Shama had an item the other day - said he ran into Coyle at a game, asked for a couple minutes of his time, and Coyle said "no."

so it sounds like the AD is going in the bunker.
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Coward.
 


MplsGopher said:
Then people seriously need to vote with their feet and wallets. Do not buy tickets. Give up your season tickets. Make them pay.

SF 49ers were crap. Fans wouldn't buy tickets. Ownership got the message.


An argument can be made that part of the Vikings problem is that fans are too diehard, and will come to the games no matter what. Might not be a valid argument, but I have seen it being made before.
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Nice fan you are... encouraging people to not attend games.

You are so irrational in your thinking that it is comical. The 49ers got better because they got so many low draft picks and lucked into finding a coach. The Vikings have been near the top in player salaries and have been working the free agency very well. Most NFL fans would love to have a team like the Vikings. Great coaches do not grow on trees and it is very hard to predict who will succeed. The revolving door of coaches is an prime example.

Coyle will have as his BB coach whoever he feels is his best option. If he keeps Pitino it is because he thinks Pitino is a good coach and he is the best option. He shouldn’t be influenced by boosters push some retread coaches or GH posters that suffer from diarrhea of the mouth.

Coyle knows a lot more about the details of the Pitino situation. I suspect that he and Pitino sat down and planned out the assistant coaching changes, defense system changes, emphasis for more efficiency and targeting of different type of players. It is very common for business leaders (coaches) to explain in detail their strategy for improvements to meet goals. As such, they would have had hope for this last season, but know it was a work in progress with little B1G experience. It would only make sense to allow Pitino another year to follow through with those plans.
 

manderson1984 said:
I hope you're kidding. I appreciate he's not leaking and keeps stuff close to his vest.
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Not kidding in the least. And no, I didn't say he had to reveal anything.

He cowers when the tough stuff is happening, it appears. See fb team.
 


BarnBurner said:
Not kidding in the least. And no, I didn't say he had to reveal anything.

He cowers when the tough stuff is happening, it appears. See fb team.
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He fired the coach. Sometimes by talking you just add gasoline the ragging hot fire instead of the intended water. Him not giving time to a hack like Shama doesn't bother me in the least. We have enough knee jerk reactions in this world already.
 

manderson1984 said:
He fired the coach. Sometimes by talking you just add gasoline the ragging hot fire instead of the intended water. Him not giving time to a hack like Shama doesn't bother me in the least. We have enough knee jerk reactions in this world already.
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Sure did. Appears to be a coward, imo.
 

alchemy2u said:
Coyle knows a lot more about the details of the Pitino situation. I suspect that he and Pitino sat down and planned out the assistant coaching changes, defense system changes, emphasis for more efficiency and targeting of different type of players.
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LOL. You are so irrational in your thinking that it is comical.
 

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